Kerala: Sabarimala airport takes another step with land acquisition nod

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 20 (PTI) The Sabarimala Greenfield Airport took a step closer to becoming a reality as the Kerala government has issued an order to proceed with the acquisition of 2,570 acres of land in Kottayam district for this ambitious project.

The airport is being developed on land in Erumeli South and Manimala villages.

State Revenue Minister K Rajan said on Tuesday that the decision to proceed with the land acquisition process was made based on the recommendations of an expert committee that examined the social impact study report.

The minister said the choice to develop the project on the specified land was reached after considering public demand, the minimum land requirement for the project and the unavailability of other suitable land options.

The state government has received confirmation from the Union Ministry of Forests, Environment and Climate Change that the identified land is deemed suitable for the airport, he said in a statement here.

Consequently, the government is taking steps to acquire this land for the project, Rajan added.

According to the Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation Act, 2013, the preliminary notification under section 11(1) is required to be issued within one year from the date of submission of recommendations by the expert committee on the social impact assessment report. The expert committee submitted its recommendations on August 22, 2023. According to it, the preliminary notification of land acquisition can be issued in August 2024 itself.

"For this, the land records of the landowners should be checked and confirmed. After inspecting the land records, the land survey will commence. Following that, the final notification will be issued," he said.

Rajan said all the steps for the Sabarimala airport will be completed in a speedy and timely manner.

The realisation of this airport is a result of the will of the Left Democratic Front, he added. PTI